Switch



Oct. 13, 1953 c, SCHWANEKE 2,655,572

SWITCH Original Filed June 15, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 13, 1953 F. c. SCHWANEKE 2,655,572

SWITCH Original Filed June 15, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patentecl Oct. 13, 1953 SWITCH Fred C. Schwaneke, Chicago, 111., assignor to Dormeyer Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois O ginal a pl cat n June 33,191. Divided and th ber 29,1949, Serial-No. 1

.1 C aim This application relates generally to electric switches and more particularly to an improved nonarcing slow-actin switch which isclosed en'- ly when two independent conditions have been fulfilled or, put another way, which opens it either of two separate control elements isactuated.

This application is a division of my applicationior Drink Mixer, SerialNo. 33,191, filed June 15, 1948, and is related to my application for Switch, Serial No. 14,600, filed March 12, .1948. Reference to both of these applications is hereby made.

The switch of this invention has proved par, ticularly useful in controlling the .motor of an electrically powered drink mixer having a removable power transmission element. When used-inthismanner the switch-performs thedual function of controlling the supply of current :to the motor in response to a manual switch lever and of cutting off the supply whenever the transmission housing is removed.

Accordingly, one object of this invention isto providea novelcontrol switch fora drink mixer which prevents the motors being energized except when the power transmission is connected thereto, and which serves'as thesolemotor-control switch, being actuatable by :a manually driven control member.

Another object is to provide a single switch which performs the function of two switches connected in series, and which is nonarcing even when opened or closed slowly undera heavy diroot or alternating current load.

Another object is to provide a switch in which the contact points are enclosed in a hollow sleeve which excludes oxygen therefrom and reduces arcing,.the contact points being opentothe-atmosphere while the switch is closed and sealed therefrom during the opening of the contacts and after they are opened.

Other and additional objects and advantages of this invention will present themselves 7 to those familiar withthe art on reading th following specification in conjunction with the drawings and the appended claim.

Inthe drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partially in section of a mixer provided with the switch-of this invention;

.Fig. 2 is a top view of the mixer with the transmission housing removed to show theiswitch;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged viewshowing the. control switch of. this invention; a

.Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial section showing is application Septem- 1s, 50s

2 theclisposition of the switch within the mixer, the transmission being removed and the switch being .in the open position;

Eig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the position of the various switch elements when the transmission housing is in place and the switch knob is in the on position; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the position of the switch elements when the transmission housing is in place and the switch knob is in the off position.

The construction and operationof the switch of this invention may be best understood if the drink mixer in which it has proved to be vparticularly useful isfirst described.

The mixer ID, as shown in Fig. 1, comprises-a casing II, a transmission housing l2, and a glass mixing cup 13. The casing H is preferably formed by die casting and consists of a base portion It and a hollow upright motor containing portion I5. The top side of the base portion 14 is cut away to form a platform on which the-mixing cup [3 rests. The housing l2 is formed of two pieces of metal, a cover member 11 and a baseplate 18 which is received on the upper end of the casing ll, the-plate l8 extending-overthe top of thecup I 3.

The agitator 20 comprises a shaft 2| journaled in the housin I-2 and having impeller elements 22 and a disintegrator element 23 mounted on its'lower end. The agitator 20 is described and claimed in my copending application for Drink Mixer Agitator, Serial No. 21,717, filed April 1948.

A series wound'motor (not shown) is mounted in a. hollow within the casing H. The casing ll serves not only to house the motor 25 but also to support the individual elements of the motor in the properrelationship to one another. The upper end of the armature-shaft iifl extends beyond-the top of the casing H, and is provided with a spring (not shown) for engaging a rotatable sleeve -53 journaled in the plate 18 in drive relationship.

A lower portion 18 of the housing [2 is substantially in the 'form of a flat plate having downwardly extending projections thereon. one of these projections 4'! has a circular periphery and setssnugly into the top of the casing H'to hold'thehousing l-2-in the proper position when it-is mounted upon thecasing l I. A key and keyway (not shown) integrally formed on theplate Hi and the top of the casing ll serve to prevent rotationof the housing l2 from the proper .po-.- sition withrespect tosthecasing .H. The cen- 3 tral part of the projection 41 is provided with a hole receiving a bearing member 56.

Two pulleys 55 are mounted on the upper ends of the sleeve elements 52 and 53, the sleeves 52 and 53 being pressed into the pulleys 56 so as to be fixed thereto. The belt 46 runs on the pulleys 55 and is preferably formed of rubber or other elastic material so that a tensioning adjustment need not be provided. The upper end of the sleeve 53 is provided with two slots (not shown) cut at right angles to each other so that the agitator and the motor shaft need only be rotated through 90. until the spring element (not shown) springs outwardly into one of the slots to lock the motor shaft to the sleeve. Thus the spring serves the dual function as a key-way for preventing rotation of the shaft independently of the sleeve and as a locking element which tends to hold the shaft in the sleeve unless sufficient force is exerted to overcome the spring tension.

From the foregoing it will be seen that all that need be done to remove the transmission housing [2 from the casing II is to pull upwardly on the housing 12 causing the end of the spring to move inwardly so that the sleeve 53 may be slipped off the shaft 36. Thus the spring also serves to hold the housing 12 tightly against the top of the casing l l.

The control switch 66 is similar in some respects as that shown in my copending application for Switch, Serial No. 14,600, filed March 12, 1948.

However, the switch of this invention performs an additional function over that disclosed in my copending application and although somewhat similar in appearance differs in its operation.

The location of the switch 66 within the mixer i6 is best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The switch 66 is attached to an insulating bracket 6| which is in turn secured to the casing H by a pair of screws 62, a recessed portion 63 being provided in the casing II in order that the switch 66 may be disposed in the proper position.

The switch 60 is manually actuated by rotation of a cam 64 attached to the end of the shaft 65 journaled in the wall of the casing II, a knob or lever 66 being attached to the outer end of the shaft 65. A spring detent 68 in the wall of the casing H serves to hold the knob in either the off or on position.

The construction of the switch proper 66 is best shown in Fig. 3. The switch 66 comprises a base plate 16 of insulating material, an insulating spacer H, a pair of contacts 12 and T3 and two resilient members 76 and 75 fixed to the spacer block 7 I. The lowermost contact '13 is supported on the member 70, being separated therefrom by an insulating spacer 76, the lower end of the contact l3 projecting through the spacer i6 and the member 76 and being peened over as indicated at 11 to hold the contact 73 rigidly to the member 16. A terminal lug 18 is in contact with the peened over portion I? and thereby is electrically connected to the contact it.

The upper contact 72 is attached directly to the member 14. The resilient member I4 is bent so as to tend to carry or move the contact 12 to the position of rest shown in Fig. 4 when unstressed.

The lowermost resilient member 15 extends beyond the end of the member 16 and is provided with a hole 81 through which the contacts l3 and spacer 16 extend. When the knob 66 is rotated to the position shown in Fig. 6, the member 15 which normally lies against the member ID is forced upwardly to the position as shown in Fig. 3 carrying with it an insulating sleeve 33 which transmits its motion to the member 74 and serves to move the member 16 and contact 12 upwardly. When the knob 66 is turned to the position shown in Fig. 5 the cam 64 is rotated 180 and allows the member 75 and sleeve 83 tomove downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4.

To actuate the switch 66 when the housing i2 is in place, a piston-like member 85 is provided in the plate It to support this member, and an opening 86 is provided in the plate it from the upper end thereof, a hole 81 extending from the bottom of this opening through the plate H3. The member 85 is rod-like in form, having a larger diameter upper portion 63 which normally rests against the bottom of the cavity 86. A spring 96 tends to force a member 65 downwardly to the limit of its travel and a setscrew 91 received in the top of the opening 86 supports the upper end of the spring 56 and also provides a means for adjusting the tension. The end of the member 85 projects from the bottom of the plate 68 and, when the housing is in place, serves to force the member M and the contact 72 downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 5, providing the knob 66 is in the on position.

When the knob 66 is rotated to the off position, the various elements are disposed as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the member i5 being moved upwardly lifting the sleeve 83 and the member 14, the spring 66 being compressed as the member 85 moves upwardly, the contacts '12 and 13 separat- When the knob 66 is in the off position as shown in Fig. 6, and the housing I2 is lifted off the casing H, the various elements assume the positions shown in Fig. 4, the member '34 springing upwardly as the member 85 is lifted away and the contacts 12 and i3 separating to open the circuit as the member M is free to move upwardly.

The switch 60 is connected in one of the line conductors (not shown) of the motor. Thus when the switch is open, the motor is deenergized and when it is closed is energized, no additional switches being required.

Since the switch of this invention may be opened slowly if the knob 66 is turned slowly or if the housing is removed slowly, its contacts might be likely to are and deteriorate except for the snufiing action of the sleeve 83 which serves to rapidly extinguish any are formed in the manner described in my copending application referred to above.

From the foregoing description it will be readily apparent that a superior switch having several novel features which may be readily adapted to other types of switches has been provided. Furthermore, the switch of this invention may be put to many other uses than in a drink mixer as described herein.

Various changes and modifications such as will present themselves to those familiar with the art may be made in the embodiment described without departing from the spirit of the invention whose scope is defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A switch for use in a food mixer having a casing enclosing a motor and a transmission housing element removably attached thereto, said switch comprising a resilient member supported on said mixer casing, a movable contact on said resilient member, a second contact cooperating with said movable contact, means on the transmission housing element for urging said resilient member toward said second contact when the element is attached to said casing, and manually actuated means for separating said two contacts.

2. A switch for use in a food mixer having a casing element enclosing a motor and a transmission housing element removably attached to said casing element, said switch comprising a resilient member, a movable contact on said resilient member, a second contact cooperating with said movable contact, means on one of said mixer elements for urging said resilient member toward said second contact when said housing element is attached to said casing element, and manually actuated means for separating said two contacts independently of the relative position of said elements.

3. A switch for use in a food readily removable transmission switch comprising a mixer having a housing, said supported contact, a movable contact, a resilient member supporting said movable contact and tending to move same away from said supported contact, yieldable means carried by said housing for urging said movable contact toward said supported contact when said housing is attached, and manually actuated means for separating said contacts against the force of said yieldable means.

4. A switch for use in a motor unit having a readily detachable transmission, and switch comprising a supported contact, a cooperating movable contact, resilient means for urging said movable contact away from said supported contact, an actuator member, an insulated sleeve enclosing said contacts, and a second resilient means supported by the transmission for urging said movable contact toward said supported contact, said second means overcoming the force of the first mentioned means, and motion of said actuator member being transmitted through said sleeve to separate said contacts by overcoming the force of the resilient means supported by said transmission.

5. A switch for use in a food mixer having a casing enclosing a motor and a transmission supporting element removably attached thereto, said switch comprising a resilient member supported on said casing, a movable contact on said resilient member, a supported contactcooperating with said movable contact, means on the transmission supporting element for urging said resilient member toward said supported contact when the element is attached to said casing, a sleeve enclosing said contacts, and manually actuated means for urging said sleeve away from the supported contact to separate the contacts.

6. A switch for use in a food mixer having a casing element enclosing a motor and a transmission housing element removably attached to said casing element, said switch comprising a resilient member, a movable contact on said resilient member, a supported contact cooperating with said movable contact, means on one of said elements of the mixer for urging said resilient member toward said supported contact when said housing element is attached to said casing element, and manually actuated means for separating said two contacts independent of the relative position of said elements.

7. In a switch, the combination including a supported contact, a cooperating movable contact supported on a resilient member, said member being biased so that said movable contact normally rests at a point spaced from said supported contact, resilient means for moving said movable contact to a position where it is engageable by said supported contact, a loose fitting sleeve member surrounding said contacts, a second member surrounding the base of said supported contact for bearing against one end of said sleeve member, and manually operated means for moving said second member in the direction of said movable contact, motion of said second member being transmitted through said sleeve to said movable contact to separate said two contacts in the event they are'touching.

8. In a switch, the combination including a supported contact, a movable contact, a resilient member supporting said movable contact, said member being biased to normally move same away from said supported contact, yieldable actuator means for urging said movable contact toward said supported contact, and manually actuated means for separating said contacts against the force of said yieldable means.

9. A switch comprising a supported contact, a cooperating movable contact, resilient means carrying said movable contact and normally urging said movable contact away from said supported contact, an insulated sleeve enclosing said contacts, and a second manually controlled resilient means for urging said movable contact toward said supported contact, said second means being of such strength as to overcome the force of the first mentioned means when operative, and a separate manually controlled actuator member for transmitting motion through said sleeve to separate said contacts by overcoming the force of said second resilient means.

10. In a switch, the combination including a supported contact, a cooperating movable contact carried by a resilient member, said flexible member being outwardly biased and tending to move said movable contact to a position away from said supported contact, a loose fitting sleeve member surrounding said contacts, an actuator surrounding the base of said supported contact and bearing against one end of said sleeve member, manually operated means for moving said actuator toward said movable contact, motion of said actuator being transmitted through said sleeve to said resilient member to move said movable contact away from said supported contact, and manually controllable yieldable means for overcoming the flexure force of said resilient member to cause said contacts to meet, said yieldable means yielding when said actuator is moved.

FRED C. SCHW'ANEKE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,394,398 Benjamin Oct. 18, 1921 1,935,857 Nachumsohn Nov. 21, 1933 2,284,155 Landgraf May 26, 1942 2,520,441 Schwaneke Aug. 29, 1950 

